"Good morning." I looked over at the women speaking to me, "Sleep well?"
"Morning Yoshino," I said with a smile, "I did, thanks." I grabbed some toast, "If he gets up before I'm back would you tell him that I went to see Kakashi."
"I will," She said with a smile, "See you tonight."
"Bye," I walked out the door in search of the sensei. "Kakashi!" I called as he was about to walk into a book store. "Before you get more make-out paradise, I need to talk to you."
"How can I help you?" He asked in a disappointed voice.
"Come with me." He did as he was told. "Kakashi, is it possible to still use my cures seal?" He looked at me and I saw the look in his panicking eyes, "I'm not planning on it, just in case."
"Well, yes it is. But please don't do that." Something then came to his mind. "So, why would you think of that?"
"Something Shikamaru said," I shook my head then, "So, how have you been? Board without a team?"
"No, I've been getting missions and reading."
"You know I've read those," He looked at me with a wide eye, "You sure are a creepy old man." I said before walking off. There was only one more thing to do today; I had to go find Hinata. After asking around I heard that she was out in the woods. "Hinata!" I called
"O-over here!" I know what you're thinking, she's stuttering. Well no, she was panting.
"You okay?" She nodded, "Well actually I was wondering if you'd be up to-?" I jumped at the sound of an explosion. "What the hell?" we walked over to the gate where the explosion took place. I saw Orichimaru, well one of his henchmen, run off. "Hinata, I'll talk to you later." I went to see Tsunade and tell her what I saw. She sent me back to the house late, but I didn't go back. I went to the roof of the bench building and looked at the stars. I found myself singing, not anything real, just notes to keep myself calm.
"Shia?" I sat up and looked over at Shikamaru, "You okay?"
"Not sure." I said truthfully as I looked back up at the sky, "I just needed to clear my head."
"Clear your head huh?" He sat next to me, "I heard you were near the explosion outside of the village."
"Yeah," I replied, "I think it was-." I caught myself, no need to worry him over nothing, "I think it was just some kid playing around." He nodded. "That's not what was on my mind."
"What was it then?" I watched as a star shot across the sky.
"Life," I shrugged, "I'm probably just over thinking things."
"Yeah, that can be troublesome." I felt a smile come to my face.
"Right, troublesome." I saw his face appear over my head, "You know, it may be just that it's easy for me to relax here, but I think that there's something different about this place."
"What?"
"I don't know. I've gone on missions to the sand and to the Cloud, hell, I was even on one to the Snow, but none of them had this sense of comfort. Like it's safer here, you can let your guard down here. In the other villages no one seems that relaxed."
"I guess," He said, "Yet, you still aren't completely relaxed."
"I can't be." I said as I sat up, "Since the curse mark I've felt on edge."
"Curse mark?"
"I didn't tell you did I?" I sighed, "The curse mark that Sasuke has, I got one too. On the same day, but a different place." I stood up and showed him my curse mark. It was right on my waist, just below the top of my pants. "Sorry, I kinds forgot about it."
"How can you forget?"
"The last time I thought about it I was yelling at Sasuke, telling him something like 'I have one too and I'm not going.' But he left and I guess I just forgot."
"What happened today? That made you think of it."
"It hurt actually." He looked worried as I took his hand to pull him away. "I left this morning to go see Kakashi about the seal and then heard the explosion. I guess I got distracted a bit and time got away from me."
"It hurt?" I sighed as we walked down the street.
"Shikamaru, don't worry about the pain. It wasn't bad; it was just bad enough for me to remember about it." He didn't look convinced. "Shika, I'm fine." I sighed as we walked in the door, "If something was wrong I'd tell you." I said as I walked to the table, Yoshino had just set the table. "Stop looking at me like that." He sat across from me and his parents were giving us 'what is going on?' looks. "Shikamaru," I he looked down at his food. I rolled my eyes and ate.
"So Shia, did you get whatever you had to do done?" Yoshino asked, trying to change the mood.
"Most of it, I was interrupted by that explosion though."
"Yeah I heard about that," She said with a smile, "Who do you think did it?"
"Just some kids messing around?" Shikaku asked
"That's my guess." I lied to them, I hate lying to them after all they've done for me, but I couldn't worry them over nothing. Well what might be nothing. "Tsunade thinks it may be something to do with Akashi or Orichimaru though." There, now it's not a complete lie.
"But Akashi was after Naruto, and he's no longer here." Shikaku said in thought, "If I was to guess I'd say-." He was cut off by Yoshino smacking him in the head. I smiled.
"Yoshino, it's okay, I was actually thinking the same thing. If it wasn't kids it was most likely Orichimaru." She looked sad, but I kept my face fine. "But I still think Tsunade is just being paranoid." I finished eating and cleaned out my bowl, "Thanks for the meal." I said as I walked up the stairs and into my room.
It's funny that I call it my room when I don't sleep here. I mainly keep my clothes in here, but I do have a few other things. Such as my sketch book and a diary, I don't really use the diary but I used to when I was young. I had it on me when I went after Sasuke. I flipped through it, reading the thoughts of my childhood. I sat there for a while till I heard a knock on the door.
"Shia?" The door opened and Shikamaru walked in. "Are you sure that your okay?" I nodded, "Alright," I smiled at him and he laughed a bit, "You look tired."
"Just a bit."
"Come on," I felt myself laugh this time, "Let's get some sleep." I stood and followed him across the hall into his room, I had already changed. I felt safe again, but still felt the tug of the lie.
"Shikamaru," he looked down at me, "I lied to you." Curiosity took over his face.
"About?"
"I saw the bomber, that's where Tsunade got her ideas. I saw one of Orichimaru's guys. He ran off when I saw him, but I think I know why he was here." He looked stressed and I lifted my hand to his face, "Calm down." I said, "If I can stay calm, so can you." He closed his eyes and slowly calmed himself down. "Now, if you can keep calm I'll keep talking." He nodded, "He was most likely here for me, this is because of my curse mark. But his men are cowards, so they will not come into the village. Like I said before, this place is easy to relax in."
"How can you be so calm?" He asked after a moment. "After all that's happened, how is it that this keeps you calm?"
"Because, I've had so much happen to me, I can let things go. It's not as personal when it's Orichimaru. If it was Sasuke or Itachi I'd be panicked, but even though Orichimaru has Sasuke I don't panic. Because I'm stronger then he was, I have the strength to let things go. That's the only reason I'm still alive."
"I just don't get it."
"That must be a new feeling for you." He rolled his eyes. "Orichimaru has no power over me, so I can be calm."
"But what if he gets you?"
"Then he gets me." He looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm not going down without a fight, and he picked the wrong girl to mess with."
"He picked you-?"
"Because I have Shringan." I pointed out. "I'm the only girl to have it."
"But you don't even use it, I've only seen it once since we were kids, and that was at the exam."
"Yes, but he knows that it exists." I pointed out, "And because of that what surprises me is that he didn't come sooner." He looked up at the ceiling, confused. "Go to sleep. Over thinking things is bad for you."
"So is under thinking." He commented as I closed my eyes.
"That's okay," I whispered, "Sleep is good for you." With that I shut my eyes.
For the next few months I slept in his room with him. I sang when he went on missions and sang for him a lot, he seemed really scared that I'd be taken, but I knew that if that happened Shikamaru would find me. I told him that numerous times. The only time that I stayed away from the Nara house was one night when Hinata invited me over. I didn't sleep, but we did bond a bit. It only took only about a week after that for us to hang out again. Then it happened, he got me.
